Mirages
by CalicoKitten
Summary: Strange events unfold after Kaistern visits a town where everyone seems afraid.


Disclaimer:  Dragon Knights is the property of Ohkami Mineko, with distribution rights to Tokyopop.

Author's Notes:  The opening of this story kind of just popped into my mind, so I wrote it from there.  I'll definitely be the first to admit the strangeness of this story, but I think it works pretty well.  Let me know what you think.

Mirages

By CalicoKitten

It was his first day in town, and he hadn't expected anything out of the ordinary.

He had heard a sweet, childlike voice ask him an altogether too innocent question, and he had thought nothing of it.

"Would you like to buy a flower, sir?"

It was simple, open, and easy to pass up, yet it should have been his first clue.

*

He looked down at the small child.  It – she, he corrected himself – wore a dress that had seen far too many wears on a body too thin for a growing girl.  She looked up hopefully, pushing the basket out at him as he inspected her small frame, starting from the two little buns on her head to the socks that had lost all color.

"Sure," he replied, handing her much more money than a single flower should cost.

The young girl paused, reaching out hesitantly, not sure whether or not she should accept such a large payment.

"I, um, I don't have any change…"

Smiling kindly at her, he replied, "I wasn't expecting any."

She flushed, her round face red as she stared up at him, awed.  Remembering her job, she thrust the basket out at him again.

"Take as many as you want, sir.  This more than covers it."

He nodded, peering inside before choosing the flower that she had the most of.  Carefully, he placed the white rose into his bag while making sure it wouldn't be crushed.

"Do I have something on my face?" he asked when he noticed she was still gazing at him.

"Um, well, pardon me, but you don't look like you're from around here," she said, lowering her eyes for just a second.

He laughed and patted the buns of her hair affectionately as he smiled down at her.

"And why do you say that?"

Her small hand scratched the back of her head sheepishly.  "Well, you see, um…you're very pale.  We've never seen anyone with skin or hair as white as yours around here, and your eyes are so light.  And, um…you have pointy ears…"

"Oh, do I?" he responded lightly, chuckling while he touched the tips of his ears as if to make sure they were pointed.  "There's a secret to it, you know."

He leaned in conspiratorially, waving a finger at the little girl to move closer.

"Do you want to hear a secret?"

Her eyes widened.  "Y-yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Mmm-hmm."

Bending downwards, he gave the little girl a quick kiss on the cheek before whispering words quickly into her ear.

"I'm from the Dragon Clan."

And with that, he turned, long black coat waving in the wind, and as he walked away, she thought he looked like an angel.

*

He arrived at the local tavern soon after his encounter with the tiny child, opening the door with ease while ignoring the stares of the people within.  Sitting at one of the stools next to the counter, he winked at the lady managing the business.

"What can I do for a traveler like you?" she asked him, voice betraying her obvious attraction to the bar's newest patron.

Flashing a smile, he replied, "Well, first you can get me something soft to drink.  After that, I need some information."

She complied, whisking out a glass and the beverage in no time.  As she began to pour, she asked, "And what kind of 'information' would this be, now?"

"Any kind of news on that demon running around town."

He had expected a reaction to his answer and was not disappointed to find her hand snap up, the alcohol splashing over the edge of the glass in a tumultuous downfall.

"What do you know about that?  You're just a common traveler!"

Eyebrows lifted slightly.  He hadn't expected her to become angry towards his simple response, and it only served him to become more curious about the assignment his king had assigned to him.

Any reply he might have given, however, was discarded when another body slid into the barstool to the right of him, setting a drink on the counter with a small clank.  He looked up, meeting a pair of jet black eyes.

"He's not just a common traveler," the man said, his tall height emphasized by the long, black hair that trekked halfway down his back.  

He gave him a curious glance but was not surprised at the obvious statement.  The other was handsome, he noted, with a slender, muscular frame that the owner of the bar had a hard time looking away from.  It was apparent that he came to her tavern often.

"Oh?"  He feigned ignorance, wanting to see what the other would say next.

"Not at all."  The newcomer held his gaze with his own, and he could see the depths of the inky darkness within.  "Pale, fair skin…"

At this, the dark-haired man placed a hand upon his own, lifting it and turning it to inspect it in the light.

"…white hair…and pointed ears."

He gestured towards his ears, and he took that opportunity to pull his hand out of the other's grasp, wondering at boldness of the action and of the similarity of the words.

"It's quite obvious."

He refused to play into the other's hands.  "Really?  I guess I must be missing something here, then."

"You're Kaistern, Lykouleon's very own Blue Dragon Officer."

The lady behind the bar let out an audible gasp, and Kaistern found it amusing that she immediately turned away from him, babbling something about the old wine in the back of her storage rooms.  He raised his glass to his lips, taking a sip before noticing the attention that the other patron was giving him.

"So?  What if I am him?" he responded flippantly, touching his finger to the rim of the glass and tracing it lightly.  "Who are you?"

Chuckling to himself, the man swallowed some of his own alcohol before telling him, "My name is Tekizen."

Immediately, Kaistern found himself on guard, surprised at the name given and distrustful of its meaning.  He turned his attention back to his glass, intent on not showing Tekizen his reaction to the man's answer.

"That's an unusual name."

"True.  But most people love it."

Kaistern pretended not to have heard the comment, settling instead for saying, "Do you happen to know about the demon slayings occurring here recently?"

Tekizen, for his part, acted as if he didn't know anything.  "I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me.  Everyone around here notices the quiet deaths that happen here every week.  Is there a reason why everyone who lives here seems so reluctant to talk about it?"

"Perhaps they're scared."  The bottomless eyes turned on him again, and he was caught up in the intensity of its gaze.

"What would they be scared of?" he pressed, staring back unflinchingly at the stranger he'd just met in the bar.

The man laughed, the sound cruel and hollow against the background noises of drunken laughter and clinking glasses.  Suddenly, his hand was against Kaistern's neck, stroking the soft flesh underneath, and his face was close enough to see the number of swirling emotions within the dark eyes.

"This and that.  And, perhaps this."

Both of his hands came up to cup the paler man's neck, thumbs reaching under the chin and tipping it up.  Kaistern had a faint suspicion that the other might try to strangle him, but he willed himself to stay still at the untrustworthy action.  His worries were short-lived, however, as the taller man bent, touching lips to his and taking his time, no matter how impassive the recipient was.

Tekizen pulled back, eyes reflecting a feeling Kaistern couldn't place as he turned to leave, giving the other a lingering glance before leaving.

After the stranger was gone, he touched his fingers to his lips thoughtfully, interested in the coldness of such an intimate touch.

He looked to his left, at the bar's recently vacated stool.

The man hadn't paid for his drink.

He didn't know why it bothered him.

*

Walking in the Great Hall a few days after his arrival back to the Dragon Castle, he expected his usual welcome and was only faintly amazed that it hadn't been sooner.

"What did you spend so much money on?!  This was supposed to have been a simple visit!"

He winced at the loud voice coming from the shorter White Dragon Officer.

"Alfeegi," he tried, putting his hands up to ward off the anger pouring off in waves.  "Calm down.  I had perfectly valid reasons to spend so much money."

Alfeegi growled at him.  "What, pray tell, were those reasons?"

He couldn't resist egging the other on more, deciding to tell the truth while he was doing it.

"I bought a flower."

He wondered briefly if Alfeegi would turn redder than he currently was, and remained amused when the smaller officer began to sputter incoherently.  Alfeegi really was quite adorable when angry, as Raseleane had always mentioned to her husband.

Thankfully, Lykouleon interrupted their conversation before Alfeegi drew steel on him.

"Since this meeting is not about expenses, I must ask you to refrain from trying to kill him today."

His manner was joking, but Kaistern felt a chill as the words rushed over him, reminded of the cold hands upon his throat and the unease he felt from the close contact.  Shivering, he pulled his coat closer to his body.

Lykouleon frowned in concern, leaning forward with one elbow on his throne.

"Are you okay, Kaistern?  You don't look that well."

"Ah, I'm fine, just fine," he lied instantly.  "You wanted to hear about the events in Mira-Ju, right?"

"Yes, that's right.  Any news on the demon there?"

"Nothing," he replied truthfully.  "Everyone there swears they've never seen a demon.  They say they don't know anything about the deaths, either."

Lykouleon frowned again, eyebrows creasing as he tugged thoughtfully on his robes.

"How can that be?  If the deaths were just rumors, I'd still be suspicious about it, but it's not like we don't have the bodies as proof."

Kaistern shrugged, the simple action making him lightheaded.  He ran a hand through his hair, replying, "I know.  What's more is that most of the people seemed very agitated when I asked about it, as if they knew something but were too afraid to tell me."

"Do you think that this demon may be threatening them?"

"I don't know.  I don't think so.  I think it's more of the idea of the demon, or something else that we haven't discovered yet."

Lykouleon nodded, eyes unfocused as he sat in thought.

"I see."

Glancing at Kaistern with worried eyes, he stood up, walking over to his Secretary of Foreign Affairs and giving him a hug.

"I'm glad you're back, but you look tired from the travel.  Why don't you take a break and let the rest of us decide what to do next?"

He couldn't help but feel grateful at the mention of relaxation, but it sparked a reaction in him that he was surprised at.  He didn't want them to decide what to do with Mira-Ju without him, yet he didn't understand why.

Speaking as if he wasn't weary, he responded, "Thank you, but I deserve to be present to settle on what to do with Mira-Ju as well."

The Dragon Lord looked taken back by his assertive declaration.  Patting his shoulder lightly, Lykouleon nodded.

"Of course.  You've been on this mystery since day one.  I'm just worried about your health right now."

For his lord and friend to say that to his face, Kaistern knew that he must be noticeably ill.  Gazing back at Lykouleon's concerned eyes, he forced a smile, knowing that the other would see right through it.

"Don't worry about me.  I'll be fine."

*

He lay in bed, eyes wide open, staring into the darkness around him.  He couldn't sleep.

Rather, he didn't want to sleep.

Forcing his eyelids to stay open, he couldn't help it when they eventually slid shut, and he was greeted with sights that no one should ever see.

Pain remained the foremost emotion to him as he slept, as it had been ever since he'd come back home.  He twisted in his sheets, panting as he fell deeper into his slumber, feeling sorrow but not knowing why.  It made him suspect that he was crying in his sleep.

He couldn't feel any wetness on his cheeks as he was sucked into the dream world before him.

_Pain.___

_Fear.___

_"Do you see that?"_

_Confusion.._

_"See what?"_

_Apprehension.___

_"…Your death."_

*

It took much effort to persuade Lykouleon to allow him to visit Mira-Ju again.  The Dragon Lord hadn't been fooled by his halfhearted displays of good health, but he had pressed him until the other finally gave in.  Nevertheless, Lykouleon had wanted him to take a few of Tetheus's men with him, but after a heated discussion, he had refused.

It wouldn't have done the Dragon Castle any better to have more men come out, anyway.

Trudging down the small hill, he could see the dull shades of the houses as he came nearer and was struck by an unpleasant sense of familiarity that he could not place.  Suddenly growing weak, his shoulder slumped from the weight of his pack, and he shifted it to the other as he focused on not falling down the slight incline.

It was an eternity before he actually arrived at the town, panting and out of breath, perplexed at his sudden state of weariness.  He staggered over to a wooden bench, not at all surprised when the old lady on the end flew out of her seat as if he could kill her with a touch.

Throwing his bag down with a grunt, he closed his eyes as he fell against the hardness of the chair, contemplating on whether or not he should take a nap.  He opted against it, however, as he didn't trust the atmosphere of Mira-Ju in any of its aspects.

Though several minutes flew past, it seemed as if he received only scant seconds of rest before a figure came to rest in the seat next to him, and he merely squinted to see the person who was not afraid to be sitting next to the outsider who spoke about insane demons.

Somehow, he had been expecting those dark eyes that looked into his own pale eyes.

"Fancy meeting you here again," Tekizen drawled smoothly, his arm across the back of the bench nearly touching Kaistern's shoulder.  "What brings you to this part of the world?"

Kaistern forced his eyelids to return his sight to normal, staring back at the other man casually.

"What I was here for last time."

Briefly, he saw Tekizen's mouth twitch before the other controlled it.

"Ah, the demon.  I thought you gathered all your information last time you were here."

"No.  The people here were all unwilling to tell me last time.  I've come this time to investigate on my own."

Tekizen peered at him closely, and Kaistern sensed a distinct feeling that he was not entirely there at the moment.  Then, the taller man's hand rose from bench, reaching out to run fingers through his white hair.

"That would be a good thing this time around.  I'm sure you'll find many things of interest," Tekizen said, the implications of the vocal meaning as clear to Kaistern as the subtle shifting of position that took the ebony-haired man closer to him.

"And what do you mean by that?"

Tekizen chuckled, the sound chiming wrong in Kaistern's ears.  "Just that you'll have a lot more luck if you stay clear of the people here – they won't tell you anything, even if it's right in front of their eyes."

"Well then," he answered, determined to trap the other within his words.  "Why do you seem so persistent to make me realize something?"

"Because there's something important that you need to know."

Punctuating his statement with actions, Tekizen repositioned himself so that he was touching Kaistern, his arm on the bench directly behind him while he placed his other hand on the seat to the opposite side of Kaistern.  He played idly with the strands of white hair and moved his head down to the Dragon Officer's neck, sniffing it lightly.

"You seem different today."

And Kaistern had no time to reply as the other quickly reached past him, enveloping him in too-cold arms while searching through his pack hurriedly.

"Hey!  What do you think you're doing?"  
He tried to shove the prying hands away but found them already gone, clutching the item sought after.

"You have one."

Peering at the object held loosely in the other's grasp, he spotted a red rose, the color vibrant and sharp in contrast to its surroundings.  He had no time to dwell on that fact before he snatched it away from the other, placing it swiftly in his bag before the other could do anything.

"So?  It's just a flower."

Tekizen gave him a sad glance.  "Are you sure it wasn't white before?"

A sudden wave of discomfort flashed over him, and he slowly opened his bag again, gazing entranced at the red rose before him.

"I…can't remember."

The other occupant of the bench took the bag out of his hands, closing it as if he did not want Kaistern to look at the vivid color of the perfect rose.

"I'm surprised that's all that's changed."

He didn't have time to ask him about the comment as he suddenly remembered where he had bought that flower from.  Standing up quickly, away from that ominous, cold embrace, he threw his sack over his shoulder, intention clear in his mind.

"What are you doing?"

Tekizen appeared extremely interested in his actions, and Kaistern began to run off, offering a slight explanation as he left.

"I have to find her.  I have to make sure she's safe."

Back turned, he didn't notice the other rising as well, steps slow but sure in following him.

*

He came upon her at the other end of town.  Breathing heavily, he supported himself with his hands on his knees, regarding the girl before him.  She was exactly as he had remembered.  Hair in buns, worn clothes, a basket full of flowers hanging from her arm.  She was leaning over something, and he took a couple of steps forward to alert her to his presence so as not to scare her.

"Hello?"

She jerked back abruptly, shock clearly written on her face as if she wasn't used to being snuck up on.  Turning to face him, she clutched her basket of flowers like it was a lifeline she needed desperately.

The recognition in her face when she saw him soon turned to confusion.

"It's…you?"

He looked at her, at the utter bewilderment on her face, and at the terror that was mixed along with it.  Her hands were clutching the handle of the basket in a grip that left her skin white, and he walked closer to her, making sure that his steps were small and slow.

"My name's Kaistern," he told her, wanting to make her feel more at ease.  He wasn't sure if his name would do the trick, but he had to try something.  "What's yours?"

Her eyes widened noticeably at the mention of his name, and the confusion on her face vanished, replaced with a look of understanding.  She nodded at him, smiling shyly but not offering her own name in reply.

He came to her, kneeling down so he could be closer to her level, and asked softly, "What are you doing in the outskirts of town?  It's dangerous here."

As soon as he said those words, he sensed an air of truth surrounding them, leading him to gaze over the little girl's shoulder.  He gasped as he caught sight of the spectacle before him, rushing past the child to take a closer look.

It was obvious that the man was already dead, but what shocked Kaistern lay in the pool of redness surrounding the man's body.  Remarkably, the body remained intact, but Kaistern had a strong suspicion that the crimson liquid didn't just come from anyone, but came from the person on the floor.

"Stay back," he told the girl, stepping closer to the body to examine the man.  He felt faint at the stench of blood, but willed himself to move further.

Eyes wide open, staring blankly into nothingness, greeted him as he inspected the man.  Clothes that were once nice were now indistinguishable from the invasive liquid, and they covered a man who was just in his adulthood.  Bending down to his knees, he saw that a hand clutched an object tightly in its grasp, and curious, he reached out a gloved hand to loosen its grip.

Before he could see what it was, an arm drew around his body, seizing him by his shoulders and pulling him with a harsh yank backwards.  Dizzy, he let himself be steadied by those familiar hands, wondering if he should push them away but too tired to do so.

"Don't touch th – him!"

"Don't touch what?" Kaistern asked as he pulled himself away from the other, moving away so that he could keep an eye on everything at once.

"Don't touch him!"  Tekizen seemed frantic, dark eyes large as he glanced at the people on the scene.

On guard, Kaistern backed away from him even more, narrowing his eyes at the unwelcome intruder.

"Or what?"

Tekizen seemed at a loss for words, looking at the Dragon Officer and the body before realizing that they were not alone.

"…You!"

He made as if to approach the little girl, but she ran over quickly to Kaistern, hiding her face in the space between his arm and peering out at him as if scared.  Tekizen immediately paused in his pursuit, though he appeared as if he wanted to come closer.

"Stay away from her," Kaistern ordered, arm extended protectively in front of the girl.  A light shimmered into existence from the palm of his hand, and he soon took a hold of a sleek, silver blade when it faded.

Tekizen remained where he was, keeping his gaze on Kaistern as if he did not want any sort of distraction to break eye contact.

"You don't understand."

Kaistern glared at him, grasping the hilt of his sword with both hands and moving into a defensive stance in front of the girl.  Carrying his pack well with his left shoulder, he turned the sharp edge towards the black-haired man in warning.

"I understand enough," Kaistern told him warily, continuing when the other didn't speak.  "I know that there's something happening in this town that keeps turning up these deaths.  I know that this has been going on for a while, and I know that the Dragon Castle only got word of it because some of our soldiers passed through here and found the bodies."

"I know that everyone in town is scared of this, and I know that you keep turning up whenever I try to find out why.  You figure out the rest."

Shifting his feet as if to move forward, Tekizen stopped when the point of Kaistern's blade turned towards him.  Opening his mouth to say more, he paused when he regarded the little girl huddled behind the pale man, her large, dark eyes staring intensely into his own.

Defeated, he whispered, "You don't understand…"

Kaistern moved towards the end of the alley, keeping his eye on the other while ushering the girl out with the hand not holding his sword.  Making sure that she had properly exited, he let the sword dissipate, running to catch up with her after ending his conversation with the other.

"I understand enough," he said, and was gone.

*

"I don't understand why you brought her here," Ruwalk told him truthfully, chewing on the tip of a wooden pencil with his teeth.

He looked up from where he was filling out papers and trying to concentrate on the meeting at hand as well.  His hand shook slightly, and he ignored the warmth in his face as he turned to answer his fellow officer's implied question.

"She had nowhere to go.  What was I supposed to do?  Leave her there when she could be killed the next day?"

"That's true," Alfeegi spoke up uncharacteristically.  He blushed slightly as everyone turned to look at him because of the unexpected comment.  "Well, it's the right thing to do.  A homeless child in the middle of a potentially dangerous town by herself?  If you even have the smallest shred of conscience, you'd realize you can't just leave the poor girl there."

"Well said, Alfeegi," Lykouleon said as he sat on the throne, slumped posture veiling his alertness at the assembly.  He smiled and added jokingly, "I always knew there was soft spot beneath those angry mannerisms of yours."

Alfeegi blushed, turning away and muttering words about an insane king under his breath.

Lykouleon chuckled a bit to himself, amused at his secretary's reaction.  Lacing his hands together and resting his chin on them, he seemed prepared to goad the high-strung secretary properly.

Tetheus cut in before violence could occur, clearing his throat loudly to garner attention before he spoke.

"I believe we gathered here to discuss the situation on Mira-Ju?"

At the mention of the name, Kaistern suppressed a shiver as he saw Ruwalk nod in agreement with the other.  He was glad he had decided to wear heavy clothes that day, covered with much material, as his body constantly felt cold ever since his arrival back to the Dragon Castle.

"Yes," Ruwalk said.  "I'm not sure what all of you think, but the events of Kaistern's recent visit make it quite clear that something has to be done.  I mean, a man was found dead in that very town, but no one saw it fit to report it or to even do anything."

"I agree," Alfeegi spoke up, pushing back the sleeves of his too long shirt.  "The problem is that Mira-Ju isn't exactly under the Dragon Lord's supervision at the moment.  The Randel crisis from a few years ago almost segregated that area from us.  We can't just send troops in and expect them to take it lightly."

The Dragon Lord nodded, fingers unconsciously rubbing his temples.  "I know.  But we can't just let the matter slide.  What if this demon moves against other towns?"

He paused while letting the palm of his hand prop his head up.  "Tetheus.  What do you suggest we do?"

The Black Dragon Officer took no time in replying to his lord's question.

"Ruwalk is right in that we need to do something before it gets out of hand.  However, Alfeegi has also brought up a good point.  My suggestion is that we send a reconnaissance team out.  They'll find out everything they can about the situation, but with stealth."

"You're thinking of spying on them?" the White Dragon Officer asked irritably, whirling around to face the taller officer.  "What happens if they find out?"

"What happens if we don't find out what the town's been up to?" the castle's security officer shot back.

Alfeegi opened his mouth to fire back a response, but Lykouleon held a hand up, silencing them immediately.  Mouth pursed in a thin line, he contemplated both issues while keeping a finger raised for stillness.

As the Dragon Lord took his time, Kaistern's mind wandered, and he was only vaguely aware that he had stopped filling out the paperwork for his recent travel that should have been completed the week before.  His eyes fell shut of their own accord, though he remained sitting upright in his chair.

_An empty space.___

_"Do you want to play with me?"_

_He tried not to listen._

_"…it'll be so much fun…"_

_He tried to ignore it._

_"Come, come…"_

_But he didn't think he could._

_…And he followed, struggling against the force that willed him to.  He felt as if he was drowning, and he couldn't breathe, but he could feel the pain throughout his body as it protested to the lack of air, and when he struggled for air, he could sense the frightening darkness as it came to him…_

_"…Kaistern…"_

_Was that his name?_

_"…Kaistern."_

_He didn't think it was anymore._

"Kaistern!"

The force of a harsh backhand jerked his head to the side, his neck screaming out in protest as he instinctively reached up to protect his cheek from any more pain.  He blinked once, twice, before his eyes began to focus, and he felt hands on his shoulders holding him up and met the anxious gazes of three pairs of eyes.

Lykouleon reached over while he was still gathering his thoughts, placing a gentle hand on the side of Kaistern's neck, and Kaistern was instantly reminded of the last person who had done that.

"You're burning up," his friend and lord told him worriedly as he put the other hand against his forehead.  "Those layers of clothing probably aren't helping either."

He pushed away Ruwalk's hands as the other attempted to loosen the ties that held the fabric together, intent on trying to stay warm despite the fact that the weather already was.  Dispensing with his pretense, he shivered, wrapping his arms around himself in an attempt to stay warm.

"What's wrong with him?" Alfeegi asked, wringing his hands nervously to expel energy.  "Is he sick?  Can you heal him?"

Lykouleon complied with the unspoken request, the hand at Kaistern's forehead gradually turning warmer until it spread throughout his entire body.  It felt extremely satisfying and was almost enough to forget about his fear of the cold, but he sensed that it was just temporary, and it was slowly ebbing away.

"It's no use – this doesn't seem like it'll help him much," Lykouleon said, drawing his hand away and standing up slowly, reluctant to move away from his ill friend.  He turned to Tetheus, who was currently supporting the pale man.

"Can you make sure he gets to his bed safely?"

Tetheus nodded, supporting the other's weight easily.

"Good."

Lykouleon turned away then, frowning as he remembered the day when Kaistern had first gotten back from his visit to Mira-Ju.

_"I'm fine."_

He knew it had been a lie all along.

*

He woke up, disoriented and confused as he pulled the blankets closer, trying to retain all the warmth he could.  His eyesight blurred for a second before he took in the sight of a tiny figure at the foot of his bed, a tiny figure with something clutched between her fingers.

Forcing himself to sit up in bed, he crawled his way down his bed, not caring what he might look like.  The girl made no motion to leave as he stretched a hand out towards her.

"What's the matter?  Can't you sleep?"

He saw something akin to homesickness flash through her eyes, but it was so brief that he could have mistaken it for something else.  His fingers brushed against her own, and he gently pried them open so that he could see what was inside.

A red rose pervaded his every sense.

Drawing back in shock, he watched in fascination as her tiny hands bled small rivulets of blood from the thorns of the rose she had been holding so tightly to.  His senses piqued, he wanted to tell her to drop it but couldn't.

She did anyway, meeting his eyes for a second before throwing the rose into the corner of his room, sprinting out the door as if her very life depended on it.  He sat in bed then, staring after her even though she had left.

His eyes soon traveled to the position of the rose, but he couldn't find it in himself to pick it up.

*

The next time he woke up, something heavy was draped across him, but rather than providing heat, it was making him colder.  Used to the habit of shoving things away, he attempted to do the same to the object on top of him, but it only sidled closer, and he felt an arm travel beneath the covers and under his waist, hugging him to the body above.

"Fancy meeting you here," the voice purred in his ear, instantly bringing him to alertness.

He struggled to sit up but couldn't, as Tekizen left no room for leverage to throw him off.  He briefly considered calling his sword, but with the close proximity, there would be no way for him to leave unscathed.

"Get off me," he hissed, trying to dislodge the invasive hands but failing.

Tekizen suddenly looked serious, and he buried his head into the pillow next to Kaistern's head, turning so that he was touching the paler man's neck with his nose.

"What if I don't want to?"

And Kaistern was suddenly aware of his sudden weakness due to his failing health.  But he was smart, so he told the other, "If you don't get off of me, I'll trigger the alarm."

The dark-eyed man simply looked at him, at the back of the white-haired man's neck, and ran a hand through those soft locks.

"Haven't you wondered how I managed to get in without doing that?"

A slow ripple of shock permeated the Dragon Officer's body, and he turned his head to the side so that he was facing the other.

"…What did you just say?"

Tekizen petted his head as though he was a cat.  "You have nothing to fear from me, Kaistern of Blue, especially in this magic-filled Dragon Castle."

Not convinced, Kaistern asked him, "Why is that?"

"Because I'm not the one you're after."

His eyes widened in shock, in realization.  "You know who we want."

"I do.  But you know as well."

The hand stroked his head gently, keeping him facing the other at an uncomfortably close distance.

"I don't understand."

"True.  But you know."

Lifting his hand almost regretfully from the pristine locks, he gestured towards the corner of the room, a corner that was darkened beyond sight but still recognizable.

"She left the flower there."

"How did you know that?" Kaistern demanded, one hand attempting to loosen the hold the other man's arm had around his waist.

Tekizen ignored him, tightening his grip instead.  "Haven't you wondered where your own flower went?"

Golden eyes met black eyes, and he suddenly knew what the other was implying.  Clutching his head in both hands, he shook his head vehemently, denying the truth.

"No!  It isn't true!"

Tekizen smiled at him sadly, a lonely expression that graced his face with the presence of being alive.  He pulled the other closer to him, rubbing small circles on the other's back.

"You know it is.  Can you honestly say that your sickness has been just a coincidence?  You're only alive because the strength of the Dragon Clan flows through your veins."

He couldn't say it had been a coincidence.  With all of his heart, he wanted to, but he couldn't.

"Why are you here then?  Shouldn't you be dead as well?"

"I think so," the soft voice replied, masking any emotion.  "But, then again, you could say that I'm special."

He continued, "However, you'll probably be even more important than me very soon."

Locking gazes with that understanding personality that was there and wasn't, he pried the hands off his body and fled the room.

*

She was the last person he wanted to see as he traveled through the town, intent on clearing his mind of the haze surrounding it.  Dressed conservatively, he pulled the collar of his jacket up, reminded of why he had bought it in the first place.  The material was long enough so that he could hide his face while still being able to see over top of it.

He passed the market square as he walked, unsure of his destination but not really caring.  Trying to coerce him to buy their product, a few sellers shoved odorous food products under his nose, and some went so far as to grab his sleeve as he went by.  Ignoring them, he easily shoved the hands away, detaching the ones that latched on.  Then, without much difficulty, he wove in and out of the string of people, and as he did so, he caught notice of faint aroma in the air, one that he recognized immediately.

Dread formed in his mind, and he took little care in pushing the people aside roughly, running in a sprint towards the smell.  It took forever just to break through the rush of people to the market, and he stopped, hands on his knees as he gasped for breath, reminded of his weak state.

Looking around, he tried to detect the path by its smell, but he grew even more nauseous as he sniffed the air.  Glancing around at his possible choices again, he hurried off to his right, almost certain that it was the path that he should take.

Naturally, it was the course that led him to the outskirts of town.

He heard that voice, stifling the urge to vomit as it spoke.

"Would you like to buy a flower?"

He dashed the rest of the way, turning a corner just as the little girl handed an elderly man a flower in exchange for a few coins.

"Stop!"

They both paused momentarily, but the girl, as if she was expecting an interruption to occur at any second, quickly grabbed the man's hand, pressing the fragile white rose into the wrinkled palm as she closed his fingers around it, snatching the money out of his other hand immediately afterwards.

Kaistern made as if to move forward, but the old man abruptly turned his eyes on him.  Their gazes locked, and Kaistern couldn't move.

Though he was old, and his eyes wise and tired from years of living, it appeared as though his eyes were losing their very essence of life, the brilliant blue fading with each breath the other took.  Kaistern staggered backwards as he broke the powerful eye contact, feeling guilty though he could not place why, and looked upon the rose that the man held.

It was a radiant scarlet color.

His eyes grew wide in shock, and he had to forcefully press the back of his hand to his mouth to keep from losing the little content left in his stomach.  The elderly man clutched his hands to his chest in a parody of his own actions, and he watched, mesmerized by the red petals that dropped to the dirt around his feet as they turned crimson and liquid at impact.

"You," he said helplessly as he watched the old man fall forward into the sea of red, clutching the now bare stem of the once-rose.

The girl paid no attention to his words.  Placing the coins into her pocket, she straightened, patting her buns into place before beginning to walk away.  Her eyes traveled past him as if he wasn't there, and he was disturbed to see the paleness in them gain color.

She headed towards him, and it seemed as if she thought him to be a ghost, able to be passed through easily.  He caught her small arm in a vice-like grip, disregarding the wince of pain that made her seem all the more human.

Looking up at him, her face shone with recognition, but he interrupted her before she could say anything.

"What have you been doing?"

His voice was hoarse, dry from illness, and the little girl looked up at him questionably.

"I, um, I'm selling flowers, sir."

He ignored her gasp of pain as he drew her closer, eyeing her warily.  With a slight shriek as she looked into his golden eyes, a remarkable strength pulled her away from him, and she backed away, clutching her arm and gazing at him fearfully.

"You don't just sell those flowers.  What happened to that man?"

He continued before she could deny his accusations.

"Was that supposed to happen to me?"

At his words, the girl stood up straighter, eyes losing their innocent glow and aging in their depths, drowning him in their troubles.  He backed away instinctively, whispering words he didn't quite feel.

"Who are you?"

She smiled at him, still holding onto the basket.  Reaching up, she began to unravel the buns on either side of her head.

"I don't know what you mean."

Taking her time, she combed her fingers through the straight, deceptively raven strands of hair, and he suddenly recognized the familiarity of her eyes as he stared into them.

"You've met him, haven't you?" she asked him, not expecting an answer to the rhetorical question.  "Isn't he lovely?  He was, once, you know."

"They all were," she said, punctuating the statement by taking a rose out of her basket, rolling it back and forth between her fingertips.

"They…all.." he repeated, not believing his ears.  "Mira-Ju…they're all dead?"

She looked up at him, the frightened posture back in her body.  "No!  They're not!  I made sure of it!  I gave them all these!"

Thrusting her basket out, she cowered in the corner, and he was reminded of his first encounter with the little girl.  An easy to miss encounter with a child that could bring death.

"The ones you gave white flowers to…they were the ones who died, weren't they?" he accused.

The deceptive child appeared as if she was going to cry.  

"No!  They didn't!  It's…I…no…you didn't die!"

"You don't know why," he spat, advancing on the girl, paying no attention to her whimpers that would most likely draw unwanted attention to him.

"You used the life that the roses brought for you, used it to sustain your life," he hissed, heart pounding rapidly.  "You're just a selfish, spoiled child."

"No!" she shrieked hysterically as she pressed further against the wall.  "It was all for him!  He had to go, he had to go and do something stupid!  I followed him so that he wouldn't…but he did!  It's all his fault!"

Kaistern drew nearer to the girl so that he right in front of her, blocking her exit.  He kneeled down so that he was nearly eye to eye with the small child, reminded again of their first fateful encounter.

"He didn't want you to do this," he told her softly, surprised at the lack of anger in his voice as he spoke to her.

They locked eyes once more, and he could see the fading years of the elderly man flash through her eyes, washing away with each passing second.  Within the silence, he could hear faint, choking sounds emerge from the girl, and he wrapped his arms around her, feeling her body shake from the viciousness of her sobs.

"It's okay," he said, and meant it as he held his palm out in the open air.

His sword materialized in an instant, and before she could react, he drove it into her stomach with a single thrust of his wrist.  He felt her stiffen, and she roughly shoved him away, the hidden strength within her sending him sprawling across the ground several meters away.

The look on her face was of pure betrayal.  Tears still dripping from the pristine face, she took the sword with her tiny hands, heedless of its sharpness as she ripped it from her body, tossing it across the ground.  Advancing towards him, she reached into her flower basket.

Whatever she had planned to do was lost as she suddenly wheezed, the basket dropping from her arms like a fragile crystal, and the blood flowing from her wound stopping.  Instead, scarlet flower petals began pouring out, and, her eyes seemingly lifeless, she fell.

He caught her in his arms an instant before she hit the ground, eyes too unfocused to see the decaying flesh of the flowers and too sick to smell their rotting odor.  He pressed her to his body harshly, rocking the dead form back and forth as if it was still alive.

"No, no," he muttered, feeling disoriented but not sure if it was due to his prickling sensation of his health returning.

Lost in his own world, he didn't hear the rapid feet approaching, obviously alerted to his situation by the deceased girl's pleas.  They stopped just outside the area, as if they were taking in all that was before them.

Unable to stop the tears from flowing down his cheeks, he sobbed, clutching the girl desperately, only slightly ashamed at his blatant display of emotion.

He felt a hand take a hold of his chin then, the other gently prying the dead form away from his arms.

"Shh," the all-too familiar voice soothed, wrapping him in arms of warmth and comfort.  A hand stroked his hair in a gentle manner, lips ghosting over his own as the person spoke.

"She always thought that you might be an angel," Tekizen told him seriously, cradling the smaller body against his own protectively as he silently thanked the other.

Kaistern looked up, eyes unfocused due to the wetness accumulating in his eyes, but he could make out Tekizen's barely visible form and the sad, kind eyes as the other spoke to him.

He felt lips on his own, pressing against him in a gentle caress that held all of the passion of a lovers' embrace.

"She was right."

And he sensed the gentle presence before him fade, the girl fading with him, and he reached out, desperate to grab hold of something solid but only finding air.

He could feel the confused, alarmed gazes of the people behind him, but he paid no attention to them.  Instead, he stayed where he was, hands on the floor, head bent down as he cried.  He was aware of the bodies coming toward him, could tell that they were his friends by the obvious concern they radiated.  A hand touched him, bringing him into an impression of the embrace from before, and he sobbed in that person's shoulder.  A cooling sensation flooded his senses, and on another day, he might have been mortified to find himself weeping into Lykouleon's, his Dragon Lord's, shoulder.  Today, however, he didn't care.

He had felt too much, and all he could do now was cry.


End file.
